This bout turned out to be an interesting clash of styles. Straus likes to score takedowns and grind from the top, but Sanchez is very confident in his grappling game. In the fight, Straus would regularly score takedowns, but Sanchez would be able to scramble, score sweeps and attempt submissions. In the first round, he rolled into a kneebar that looked like it might finish the fight. In the second round, he swept to the mount and was pounding out Straus at the bell. The third round began the same way. Straus scored a takedown, but Sanchez was once against game on the ground. He locked in a triangle choke on the opposite side and strained for the submission. This year has been incredible for Sanchez. He has scored victories over former WSOF champion Georgi Karakhanyan as well as former Bellator champions Marcos Galvao and Straus. This victory could have put him in position to challenge Patricio "Pitbull" Freire for the Bellator title.

Sanchez continued his somewhat unlikely run through the Bellator featherweight division. He was one step ahead of Galvao in the striking game for all three rounds. Gavlao, a former bantamweight champion in Bellator, normally likes to grind his opponents against the cage and work from the top. However, Sanchez used his footwork and size to avoid the grappling almost entirely. Sanchez did not entirely outclass Galvao, but he got the better of all the striking exchanges. He has now won five of his last six bouts in the promotion and improved his professional record to 15-3.

In this fight, whoever ended up on top basically took the round. In the second round, Sanchez ended up on top and did great work until landed an illegal knee to a grounded opponent. In the final round, Karakhanyan scored the takedown and finished the round of top. Sanchez normally gets loose with his striking in fights, but this fight was mostly a grappling contest. With the loss, Sanchez has gotten back on track after falling to Daniel Weichel at Bellator 159.

Sanchez last fought Daniel Weichel at Bellator 159 where he lost by decision. Still with a solid 13-3 record, the 26-year-old will look to get back in the win column when he enters the octagon with the 5-0 McKee.

6/29/2016

Sanchez will face Daniel Weichel in the featherweight feature event during Bellator 159 on July 22.

Fantasy Analysis

Sanchez is a tough 25-year old featherweight who has won most of his 13 wins by decision or submission. He may have a disadvantage from submission standpoint, as Weichel is a submission expert with 21 total submission wins over his career. Sanchez most recently beat Daniel Pineda at Bellator 149 to keep his three-fight winning streak alive.